Conveyer and guide



July 29, 1930. A, BRQADMEYER 1,771,555

IGONVEYER AND GUIDE Filed Sept. 21, 1927 v 2 Sheets-Sheet J gmentoi' Alfleflfiraadmgyen l I alIbMn-aq Jill) 2 9, 1930. BROADMEYER I 1,771,555

CONVEYER AND GUIDE Filed Sept. 21, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 29, 1930 Bums STATES PATENT-OFFICE ALBERT BROADMEYE R, OE HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WJO. HICKOK MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- to secure the desired results.

PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

converse AND earns Application filed September 21, 1927. Serial No. 220,990.

The present invention relates to guides and conveyors for paper sheets and the like, and 15 particularly intended for devices of this character that are interposed between the sheet feeder and the instrumentality that operates on the sheet, as for examplea folder, ruling machine or the like.

With structures of this kind a guide is employed along which the sheets pass, and are thus brought in proper line before being introduced into the mechanism that operates thereon. It has been the custom to employ conveying rollers set at an inclination to the guide so as to bring the sheets against the guide. These inclined rollers, however, have a tendency to turn the sheets to cornerwise positions, and this is particularly true when the contact with the guide, which apparently creates sutlicient resistance to the edge of the sheet, traverses it to cause a turning action on the part of the sheet. It is the common practice to prevent this by stringing longitudinal wires beneath the outer ends of the sheets, but this has proven unsatisfactory and difficult inasmuch asthe wires have to be adjusted while the sheets are moving in order It has been proposed to substitute a moving belt for the stationary guide, but there are objections to this structure. j

The object of the present invention is to provide means which will insure the margins of the sheets that are adjacent to the guide, moving at the same surface speed as the conveying rollers or other devices, thus insuring the proper travel and facing of the sheets during their progress from the feeder.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of a conveyer and guide equipped with the novel mechanism.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation and partially in section of one end of one of the improved conveyer rollers.

Figure 8 is cross sectional view therethrough.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line l-l of Figure 3.

In the embodiment disclosed, the main features of the conveyor and guide are well arranged so that sheets delivered on to said rollers from the feeder 6 are not only caused to move toward the mechanism 7, but will be laterally moved until they strike against the gu de bar 8. These rollers are rotated by a'nysuitable means, as for instance anendless be1t-9 that engages their undersidesand is disposed transversely thereof. As above stated, these rollers have atendency to cause the sheets carried thereby to turn so that their outer corners become advanced. To prevent, this the following mechanism has been'found verysatisfactory. i I

i The. rollers as shown particularly in F igures 3 and 4- are cylindrical shells andhave headsi'lO fitted in their ends. These heads turn on gudgeons 11 fixed in the frame 5 by set screws 12. Every otherroller has its end, whichis adjacent to the guide bar 8, provided with radial suction ports 13, these ports being arranged diagrammatically opposite. The gudge-on 11 is provided by a vertical passageway or port 14, that ailords communication between the diagrammatically opposite position. r

A suction shoe 15 bears against the underside of the end ofeach roller thus constructed, and is oonca-ved as shown at 16, to have a snug fit against the roller. 1 Thissuction shoe is supported on a tubular stand 17, slidably mounted in a: bracket 18 secured to the frame bar 5, and the hea '15 is maintained snugly against the roller by a coiled spring 19 interposed between thehead and the bracket 18. The stand and head15 have a passage way 20 therethrough that registers with the vertically disposed suction'ports 13, and connects ed to the stand 17 arebranch pipes 21 leading to a conduit 22 that is connected to asucports 13 as they come into vertical tion pump 23. The area of the open ports 13 is preferably substantially equal to the capacity of the pump 23.

IVith this construction it will be evident that the uppermost suction ports 13 are in communication with the. exhaust pump 23. Consequently as the sheets are delivered on to the conveyor, and even before they are brought against the guide bar 8, they will be caused to adhere to the rollers by reason of their covering the vertical suction ports 13. The result is that the margins of the sheets which are adjacent to the guide bar are caused to have a surface speed equal to the surface speed of the rollers, and it has been found that this will cause the sheets to move with their front edges at right angles to the guide bar and prevent any tendency to a turning movement. This adhesion is relatively light but is at all times sufficient for the purpose whether the sheets are small or large, and whether all or only part of the open suction ports are covered.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advant-ages of the herein described invention will be apparent, to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In sheet conveying and guiding means, the combination with a guide and a series of conveying rollers located alongside and inclined to the guide, of means for delivering sheets to the rollers, means for rotating the rollers, said rollers'having transverse ports through the ends adjacent the guide, suction shoes engaged with the undersides of the rollers and having ports that register with I the transverse ports, and means for creating suction through the ports of the shoes.

2. In sheet conveyingand guiding means, the combination with a guide, of means for conveying sheets to and along the guide including a roller inclined 'tothe guide and having ports through the portion adjacent to the guide, and a suction shoe against the outer side of the roller and having an intake port with which the ports of the roller communicate as the roller rotates.

In sheet conveying and guiding means, the combination with a guide, of means for conveying sheets to and along the guide including a roller over which the sheets pass, said roller being inclined to the guide and having ports through the portion adjacent to the guide, and a suction shoe against the outer side of the roller and having an intake port with which the ports of the roller communicate as the roller rotates.

4. In sheet conveying and guiding means,

cate when in communication with the gudi geon port.

In testimony whereof, aflix my signature.

ALBERT BROADMEYER. 

